The Rovers Return inn is as part of British pop culture as The Beatles, Daleks and the Mini Cooper. There has been so much excitement and stories taking place within that public house, it is no wonder that it has become one of the famous pubs in Britain.
When the series began in 1960, Annie and Jack Walker were Landlady and Landlord for the whole of the 60's and had been for some time. In 1961, as they celebrate their Daughter Joan’s wedding, the layout of the pub has a completely different layout that we are used to today.
In the bar, we see the Snug and the public house. In this era of British history, ladies drank in the snug as the more acceptable place. Elsie Tanner, however, enjoyed the company of the men in the public. This stayed the layout of the pub through the 1960's and 70's. Annie Walker also commented on the fact ‘Ladies are not permitted to stand at the bar after being served’ in 1960.
The outside of the Rovers was rarely seen, usually just the front doors. During the closing credits of the very early episodes, the pub looks flat and long, more like an extension of the other houses rather than have its own features. The sign was also a square, rather than the horizontal banner seen in later years.
It is the private quarters that have the biggest differences can be seen. Before the wedding, Joan Walker can be seen heading down the stairs, however rather than being on the right side of the hall, leading up in the direction of the bar, they are on the left side. She heads into the living room which is in the same position it has been with the fireplace on the same wall as always. The windows are on the same wall but seem stained glass to match those of the other pub windows. The stairs changed direction after the 1986 fire.
The door to exit the private quarters into the street is not on the same wall as the stairs, instead it is opposite. If this was the case in 2020, the door would lead into the bar and straight for the phone box and darts board. This door also leads straight into the street rather than into the back yard or a smoking area. Concepta Riley runs to this door to witness the bridal car finally start. She appears in the same street as Minnie Caldwell, who moments before had joined Martha Longhurst to get a better view at the front. This exchange of words happened outside Elsie Tanner’s house as Elsie enters number 11. So where about this door actually exits to remains unknown.
During the 1970's, a whole new room seems to appear and disappear when it is needed, despite the exterior of the pub not having enough space for it. The function room is situated at the back and is only accessed by going behind the bar and through the private living room. What makes it more confusing is the space is also the kitchen. The function room is host to may parties, Rita Fairclough finds out Len has died whilst singing in there, and many themed nights take place. It is odd then that when Alec Gilroy is forced to update the kitchen, the space that was once the function room is now the kitchen. The kitchen we see is small and is not the same size as the function room. It is never mentioned again after the late 70's/ early 80's.
One of the most noted issues with the layout of the Rovers is the case of the toilets. The cellar access, male and female toilets are all to the right hand side of the bar. However there is no space for them as by rights, the Barlow’s living room occupies the same space. In the early days, the layout of the street is never properly seen other than the closing titles of the first few episodes. This is not raised as an issue until the exterior shots are seen. Now, there is a side access gate which accounts for the cellar but there still can’t be enough space for two public toilets. The layout of the interior doesn’t seem to match the exterior for other elements either. With the disappearing function room aside, the kitchen and living space should really be in Rosemond Street. If we look at what is to the left of the bar (space for a table and darts board), when we move into the back, this space fits the hallway, the living space and the kitchen.
The layout for The Rovers Return was set after the fire in 1986, prior to this the size and shape was often changing but the Rovers that we know today come from the reopening of the pub after. The open plan of the pub, with the toilets and cellar to the right of the bar, the stairs opposite the living room and the kitchen through the private living room were all set up or cemented at this time.
Upstairs has always been a rarely seen part of the building. Dennis Tanner showed us the bathroom upstairs when he kept some performing seals in the bath without the knowledge of the Walkers. Annie Walker was sleeping in the master bedroom when two intruders entered the building demanding money. Fred Gee’s room was featured when he faked a bad back. The Master bedroom featured again when Bet was trapped in the 1986 fire, after Alec left her and when Jack and Vera took over. Various rooms showed up periodically but were never seen routinely. In 2008, a flat was shown upstairs, although this was disregarded in 2010 and never mentioned or even hinted to since. Ena Sharples once commented to Annie Walker that as the pub was called The Rovers Return Inn, she should rent out one of the rooms to her when she needed a place to stay. The rooms have been rented a few times over the years but this has never been a mainstay business.
The Rovers Return Inn has seen plenty of dramas but the building itself has been the pinnacle of the show. It has featured as the subject in many story lines over the years but the old backstreet pub is still standing. Characters come and go, landlords and Ladies move on and bar staff find few jobs but The Rovers Return goes on, serving the locals with Newton and Ridley until the end of time.
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